Last week Jesus knowingly sent his disciples into a storm and left them in it for hours. This week, we see something that, quite frankly, is offensive to us. Jesus not only ignores this poor woman, but even calls her and her whole race “little dogs.” And yet, just as the storm ended with walking on water, so this rebuttal ends with a joyful consent to the woman’s request. Some try to say this woman teaches Jesus about racism but that is silly; Jesus already knows racism is wrong. Jesus Christ, who is both God and Man, is using this occasion to teach us about prayer and the power of humility.
But first, there is a human lesson here, something we can learn about responding to racial division. As we’ve seen recently, racism and hatred are still a problem in this country. Make no mistake, racism is sinful. Jesus is not being racist, but the woman’s actions can nevertheless be an example of responding to those who are. It starts in her heart. She is willing to recognize that there is something good in this other person, even though he is a Jew. Though our racist “enemies” are not God like Jesus, every human being bears the image of God and is capable of goodness. To overcome racial division, we start by looking for that good in others and encouraging them to show it more clearly.
When Jesus implied that she and other Canaanites were dogs, she did not respond with anger or violence. Instead, she remained humble and gentle. Not only that, but she responded with cleverness and turned Jesus’ own comparison into an argument in her favor. When we encounter apparent hatred, we must stay rooted in the humble admission that we are lowly, sinful human beings. We persevere in looking for the good, even in the person who insults us. Finally, we use the gift of our reason, our cleverness to continue to persuade others. Martin Luther King Jr. accomplished so much with non-violence and persuasion; It’s something he learned from Christ. And if we are the ones with the prejudice, we must learn from Jesus that grace does not see racial and ethnic differences. We will be judged by faith, not color.
Now, we can learn the divine lesson Jesus has in store. God’s silence is hard for us to bear, but it is a fact of life. Anyone who prays regularly can tell you that God will keep silent from time to time. Jesus doesn’t hide this reality from us. The woman cries out in desperation and even calls Jesus “Lord, Son of David” despite the fact that Canaanites normally wouldn’t care about some Jewish king. She is clearly sincere, but Jesus doesn’t even open his mouth.
When the woman hears Jesus speak, not to her, but to his disciples about her, she gives up on the dramatic crying out and comes quietly to do him homage. “Homage.” We heard that word in last week’s Gospel too, but from the apostles. It is a sign of faith, of reverence, and even of worship. And it works… sort of. For the first time, he actually speaks directly to her. When God breaks his silence, it usually isn’t what we’d expect. “It’s not right to throw this food to the dogs.” Dogs! How dare he! Just because he’s a Jew and she’s a Canaanite… that’s no reason to call her names! She should stand up for herself and tell this judgmental Jew what’s what.
Not only does she not do that, she agrees with Jesus! It’s translated as “please” but the word she uses is “yes.” “Yes, Lord” I am a little dog like the rest of my people, but even the dogs get some scraps. This is a profound act of humility, and one that comes very hard to most people. The Truth is, she really was a pagan and God had not yet adopted pagans as his children. God chose a specific group of people, the Israelites, the Jews, to make a covenant with. They have a special place in God’s plan that Canaanites do not. Dogs and children are not a bad analogy to the Old Covenant.
Go ahead and admit that what I just said is offensive, but do not reject the idea out of hand. The fact is that we are mere creatures, and sinful ones at that. God owes us nothing. We have no rights against God. His every gift to us is just that, a gift. The second we begin to presume that the gift is owed to us, we lose the ability to receive it. Jesus Christ only saves us from sin if we admit we are sinners. We are adopted by God in baptism, which means admitting that we weren’t God’s children before. It wouldn’t be “adoption” if we were already his children.
Scripture teaches us again and again that God resists the proud, but shows kindness to the humble. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, but whoever humbles himself will be exalted. This woman doesn’t need all that explanation. She gets it. Jesus owes her nothing and she has no right to demand anything. What she does have, however, is faith. So, the woman humbly admits her lowliness, her total lack of importance. She admits the truth, but her faith shows her that her lowliness is not the whole Truth. Rather than assert her rights and dignity, she cleverly and sincerely implores Jesus’ mercy.
And Jesus’ response? “O Woman.” Jesus only exclaims “O” five times in scripture. Four of those times, it is a rebuke, “O faithless generation!” The only time Jesus says “O” out of joy is right here, to a pagan. Rather than “dog,” He calls her woman. Remember that the only other person Jesus directly addresses as “woman” is his mother. And, it reminds us of Adam when he discovered Eve: “O woman!” This is one of the most exuberant expressions Jesus ever uses. He revels in her faith and joyfully grants her original request, showing the Apostles and us that the new covenant is open to all through faith.
But she had to endure the silence and the rebuke to get to that faith. Our desires and our faith grow when they are tested. God is silent to cause us to really consider if we want what we seek. If we really want it, our desire grows and our faith increases as we ask. God rebukes us to humble us. Humility is simply acknowledging the Truth. And the Truth is that we are sinners who cannot demand anything from God. But the Truth is also that God is generous and merciful. So, keep praying, but do so humbly, admitting you don’t deserve it. Yet, you can be bold like this woman by pointing out God’s mercy. Like the woman who agreedthat she was a dog, we agree with God that we are lowly, but we remind Our Lord out that, just as dogs are fed by their masters, so sinners are given grace and forgiveness by Him.
As we hear in Isaiah the prophet “my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” If you want to enter that house, then pray. It is far better to be a begging dog in the house of the Lord than a proud child of Satan. Because, unlike the pets we have, there will come a time when our master shall look such dogs in the eye and say “O Woman, O Man, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”